The 54 employees of Paul Mitchell the School Dallas and Arlington can take a third week of vacation but with strings attached: They have to use it to work on an approved service project, such as mission trips to do hair for people who live in the garbage dumps of Mexico City.

GDSX Ltd. held a PTO egg hunt, hiding 60 hours of extra time off in plastic eggs.

4Front Engineered Solutions Inc. uses the same formula to calculate bonuses for everyone, from shop floor personnel to top salaried staff.

At most companies, unused sick leave is cleared off the books at the end of the year. But at Southwestern Assemblies of God University, half of the unused sick time goes into an extended illness bank to be used when someone needs it for surgery, hospitalization or other health issues. The other half becomes extra vacation time in the upcoming year.

These are a handful of the imaginative ideas that our Top 100 companies implemented to inspire, motivate and entertain the troops.

We polled our winners and asked: Is there a simple something that you initiated that you’re proud of?

Here’s what they had to say:

Puritan Financial Cos.

Every sale made anywhere in the country is recognized via a companywide email so that the entire company gets excited about others’ successes.

Montgomery Coscia Greilich

The Dallas law firm pays for an annual ski trip for its employees and their spouses. In January, the gathering was held in Crested Butte, Colo.

The Marketing Arm

Life Support, a sabbatical program launched this year, gives longtime staff members time off to do something that they’ve always wanted to do.

Dal-Tile

The company opened an on-site health clinic for employees and their families at its South Dallas headquarters, where it offers free acute care, wellness exams, immunizations and lab work. The company got so much positive feedback that it added a mobile dental service offering exams, cleanings and fillings.

The Beck Group

The details of how this design company’s Trike Races tradition started are fuzzy, but employees ride giant, adult-size tricycles in Beck Park. Employees, in teams of four, race around cones down the sidewalk outside the office. In a reversal of roles, managers grill burgers and chicken for employees in appreciation of their service.

Improving Enterprises

A new partially managed medical plan saved the 150-person software company more than $50,000 in its first two months and should cut costs by $200,000 annually.

The Sheraton

Dallas Hotel

For the last four years, the Sheraton Dallas has enrolled more than 50 hotel workers in its associate development program, and more than 60 percent of supervisory and management promotions in the last two years have been filled from within.

Merit Energy

Merit plans occasional company outings during the workday. Texas Rangers games, the TopGolf entertainment complex and bowling tournaments are among employees’ favorites.

Strasburger & Price

The law firm is literally trimming staff. In 2011, it implemented a Naturally Slim program that, on average, has participants losing 12 pounds in 10 weeks.

iProspect

Its new 22,000-square-foot space is centered around a large communal kitchen where the team can eat, congregate, brainstorm or watch a movie.

Omni Hotels & Resorts

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the hotel owners created a foundation that benefits employees facing hardships. Co-workers can donate to the cause, which has awarded $500,000 in grants that have reunited families, restored the gift of sight and helped people affected by fires, floods and hurricanes.

Slingshot

Nothing improves the ad agency’s morale like the Thursday Beer Cart that rolls through the agency for happy hour, allowing everyone to have a beer or glass of wine. “This summer, we tied it to employee’s time sheets: No time sheets = no beer,” chief executive Owen Hannay says. “Very effective.”

Children’s Medical Center of Dallas

For every dollar an employee contributes to a dependent day care flexible spending account, the hospital kicks in 25 cents up to a maximum of $1,000 per employee per year.

Credera

When the management and technology consulting firm meets its financial goals, employees and spouses get a four-day/three-night, all-expenses-paid trip to such destinations as the Bahamas, Lake Tahoe, Playa del Carmen and Riviera Maya.

Dallas Market Center

Its “Next Big Give” searches for independent retailers who give back and make a difference in their communities and shares their stories to inspire others. Anyone can nominate at

dallasmarketcenter.com/give.

Denbury Resources

Denbury’s “Open Door” policy is literal. Even the CEO’s office is has no door, which encourages communication and discussion.

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